1km reps around a track can be a bit monotonous—it’s a lot of laps going in circles! It’s not like 400m reps, where you’re running at a much faster pace, making the shorter distances more enjoyable. So, I decided to put a twist on the 1km rep workout to make it a bit more engaging.

To mix things up, I varied the recovery distances. After the first 1km, the recovery was 200m, then 400m after the second. This pattern alternated until the end of the session.

The alternating recoveries challenge your endurance because the 200m recoveries don’t allow enough time to fully recover, forcing you to push your body to maintain the pace of the previous rep. It also makes your body work harder to clear lactic acid from your legs. Running the reps at a pace between your 5km and 10km pace helps ensure good form throughout without risking burnout. For the best results, the recovery jogs should be consistent in pace. Otherwise, if you allow your body to fully recover during the 200m segments, the workout loses its intended benefit.

In the end, the session for each group looked like this:

Group 1
4 x 1km
Recovery: 200m jog, 400m jog, repeat
Sequence: 1000m (200m) / 1000m (400m) / 1000m (200m) / 1000m (400m)
Total: 5.2km

Group 2
5 x 1km
Recovery: 200m jog, 400m jog
Total: 6.4km

Group 3
6 x 1km
Recovery: 200m jog, 400m jog
Total: 7.8km

Group 4
7 x 1km
Recovery: 200m jog, 400m jog
Total: 9km